Folding device



0. FIORE FOLDING DEVIQE July 25, 1944.

Fil ed Aug. 15, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet. l

v INVENTOR. 4 OTTO 101:3

O. FIORE FOLDING DEVICE July 25, 1944.

5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Aug. 15, 1942 INVENTOR. O T T o Fro BY m A270HNEY- 0. FIORE FOLDING DEVIC E Jul 25; 1944;

5 Sheets-Sheet 5' Filed Aug. 15, 1942 I BY IN V EN TQR. O TTO RICHIE)AJZZ RN o. FIORE FOLDING DEVIC E July 25, 1944'.

5 Sheets-Sheet 4 Filed Aug 15, 1942 INVENTOR. Orm F1025, BY 5 k ATTORNEYi l lilll July 25, 11944. '0. mm; 2,354,251

FOLDING DEVICE Filed Aug. 15, 1942 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IN VEN TOR.

OTTO E055,

Patented July 25, 1944 I UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE 2,354,251

Otto Fiore, Grantwood, N. .L, assignor to William W. Fitzhugh, Inc.,Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New" York Application August 15, 1942,Serial No. 454,897

(c1. 27c ss) 12 Claims.

This invention relates to folding machines and vpaper box and envelopemaking machines and tomeans and methods for transversely folding blanksand more particularly to methods and devices for folding on a transverseline an advance part of a blank traveling through a folding machinethough it is notedthat in some of the claims the invention is notlimited to a travelingblank orany particular type of machine nor eventofolding an advance part norto folding on a transverse line.

One object of the invention is to provide an improved device and methodof this kind by which the blank is folded when traveling at high or' lowspeed, without the necessity of synchronizingthe blank or the foldingwith any other movement or operation of the machine or blank.

Z Other objects of the invention are to provide an improved device ofthis kind which is free of any reciprocating part, which comprisesprincipally fixed parts and which may be adjusted or adapted for.folding a large variety of shapes and sizes of blanks, and is adaptableto a larg variety of, machines and blank carriers.

Additional objects of the invention are to effect simplicity andefficiency in such methods and devices and to provide an extremelysimple device or apparatus of this kind which is very speedy,economical, durable and reliable in operation, and costs very little tomanufacture and install.

Still other objects of the invention will appear as the descriptionproceeds; and vwhile herein details of the invention are described inthe specification and some of the claims, the invention as described insome of the broader claims isv not limited to these, and many andvarious changes may bemade without departing from the scope of theinvention as claimed in the broader claims.

The inventive features for the accomplishment of these and other objectsare shown herein by way of example in connection with machine parts andfolding means which briefly stated include means for foldinga blankcomprising a rear body portion and a forward flap provided with a transversescore line nearthe body portion; said ma chine parts includingmeans including lower and upper belts and rollers for supporting andforwardly moving the blank in a horizontal plane with the flap forward.The blank folding means includes an adjustable spring or springs adaptedto engage and yieldably slightly upwardl de flect the forward part ofthe flap as the blank is moved forwardly after which the deflected flapcomes into engagement with an upright defleeting plate or platespositively deflecting substantially vertically upwardly the forwardlymoving' flap until adjustable fixed stops at'the upper part ofthe platespositively stop the free end of the upwardly moving flap a distanceabove the plane of the body portion about equal to the distance betweenthe score linea'nd said end thereby positively holding the'fiap in thestopped position as the body portion 'still'in said plane is forcedforwardly thereby to cause the flap fold at the score line; after'whichfthe flap is drawn under a foldinglroller at 'tl'i'e lowerlpart" ofthe plate which then fol'ds and presses the flap onto the bodyportionas' the body portionj is moved forwardly. v

In the accompanying drawings showing, by way of example, one of manypossible "embodiments of the invention, I

Fig. 1 is a fragmental side end elevation showing a portion of a foldingmachine providedwith my'folding device; i, V

' Fig. '2 is a fragmental plan'on a larger scalethan Fig; 1 showing'thedevice and adjacent parts of the machine, a' blank in partly foldedposition being indicated therein;

Fig. 3 is a fragmental sideelevation showing the folding'd'evice; i 1Fig. 4 is a fragmental transverse vertical sec tionalview, showing thedeflector plate in front elevation, the section'be'ing takensubstantially on the line 4-4'of Fig. 3, looking in "the direction ofthe arrows of said line;

Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical sectional ,view, partly in elevation,"showing the part of the mounting means of the folding roller, thesection being taken substantially on the'line' 5'5 of Fig. 2, looking inthe direction'of the arrows of said' line;

Fig.6 is a ,plan or face view showing one ex ample of many possibleblanks that may be folded by this device; j

Figs. '7 to 10 are diagrammatic side elevations showing steps in thefolding method.

My improved device may be applied to various types of machines orfixtures, and is here shown by way of example, inconnection with thetype of machine wherein the blankis conveyed, from suitable feedingmeans (not here shown), past,

suitable gluing means (not shown) 'on lowercarrier belts I0 (Fig. 1),the blanks being pressed 'upon'the lower belts by upper belts l I androllers I2, I3 carried in housings l4 andl 5-suitably supported from theframe of the machines. In this type of machine the race bars I6 carryingthe lower belts together with the housings are adjustable variousdistances apart; andsuch maj-r chines have various adjustmentsforvarious styles and sizes of blanks or articles made therefrom. But theinvention is not limited to usewith any type of machine'orany particulartype of blank. i

The operation andrelations of the principal features of my foldingdevice and th machine until the forwardly directed flap 2| engages andis upwardly deflected by the Springs 22 (Fig. 7),

the body portion 23 of the blank being pushed on g by the conveyingmeans until the forward end 24 of the flap rides up the deflector face25 (Fig. 8) until stopped by the stop shoulder 26 (Fig, 8), the furtherfeeding of the body portion causing the blank to fold on the score line21, after which the body of the blank being further pushed by the beltand rollers (Fig. 9) pushes the fold at the score line under the rollers28, as in Fig. after which the folded blank is carried by the belt l0and rollers 28, 29 to further mechanism (not shown) of the machine forfurther folding and stacking.

My improved folding device and its relation to the machine will now bedescribed more in detail and is here described by way of example forfolding the blank having a body portion 23 having side flaps 30 and theforward flap 2|. all flaps being provided with several adjacenttransverse score lines 2|, 3|, 32 on the front flap and 34 on the sideflaps all adjacent to the body portion, though it is noted that thedevice can be used for folding almost any kind of blank.

The new device is shown by way of example applied to a folding machineof the usual type having a pair of suitably supported parallel beltracebars |6 which as is usual may be relatively adjustable one from theother, each bar being provided with an upwardly opening belt race 38(Fig. 4) and roller receiving openings 39 in the bottom of the race inwhich are rotatably disposed axially transverse rollers 40 forsupporting the suitably driven forwardly longitudinally moving lowersupporting carrier belt portions l0 movable in the race in the directionof the arrow 4| of Fig. 1 on which portions the blanks may be conveyedfrom the blank feeding means and a gluing means or other operatingmechanism, not shown and not a part of the present invention.

My improved device includes a main flap deflecting means 42 (Fig. 3)above said-belts H) to, against and under which the blanks may beconveyed by the lower belt portions I!) in cooperation with the upperrollers |2, I3, and the rollers 28, 29 in roller housings 43. Pulleys 44at the advance end of the housings |4 support the advance portions ofthe upper pressure belts II which have their lower courses engageablewith and moving in the same direction as the lower belts I, or theblanks thereon, whereby the blanks may be engaged between the upper andlower belts and conveyed toward the main deflective means 42.

The roller housing I5 is secured to the advance end of the pulleyhousing l4 and carries the downwardly spring pressed rollers |3 forpress: ing the blank into good driving contact with the lower beltwhereby the blank is firmly pushed into cooperation with one or moresprings 22 and the main deflector means 42.

The springs 22 are carried on adjustable strapmetal brackets 45, 50, 5|,(Figs. 3 and 4) carried on said race bar l6. Each bracket comprises avertical outer portion 45 engaged against the outer flange 46 of therace bar and having a vertical slot 41 therein in which is received aclamping screw 48 passed through said slot and away as at 14 (Fig. 4) toexpose said roller.

screwed into one of a plurality of tapped holes 49 in said flange foradjustably clamping the bracket against the flange. Said bracketincludes a lower yoke portion 5|! unaware race bar near the advance endof the roller housing l5 and an upright arm 5| extending upwardly tonear the path of the blank, and provided with a small bore 52 inclinedupwardly toward the main deflector means and receiving a spring wire 53held in said bore by set screws 54 and comprising a spring coil 55adjacent to the upright 5| and the upwardly and forwardly inclinedpreliminary deflector spring 22 biased to cross the path of the blank,and adapted to engage and upwardly deflect the forward flap 2| beforethe latter reaches the main deflector means 42, i

The main deflecting means 42 (Figs. 3 and 4) comprises a pair of members42 oneover each race bar, the members 42 being movable with the racebars as the latter are adjusted toward or from each other in accordancewith the width of the blank to be folded. Each member 42 comprises anupright deflector plate 56, having a de-' flector face 25 facing saidroller housing IS in a plane transverse to the length of said bars l6,said plate joining or being integral with the rear roller housing 43joining the lower part of the deflector plate 56, and a tapering flange51 extending rearwardly of the outer edge of the plate. Said rollerhousing 43, comprises side walls 58, 59 (Fig. 5) and transversecross-piecesfili spaced along the housing and connecting the upper partof the side walls and each provided with a central vertical bore 6| inwhich is slidably received an upright stud 82 of a roller truck 64, 55under each cross-piece comprising a transverse-intermediate piece 64joining the lower end of the stud and a longitudinal side piece 65joining the outer end of the intermediate piece, adjacent .and parallelto a side wall 58 and provided at its ends with spindles 66 transverseto the housing and receiving pressure rollers 28, 29 rotaryon thespindles and pressed into engagement with the lower belts H) or blanksthereon, by meansof a spring 61 on each stud compressed between thecross-piece 60 and intermediate piece 54 for pressing the rollersagainst the belt beneath, thereby to hold a blank in firm drivingengagement with the lower belt. Other means for pressing the rollerdownwardly may be used and similar means may be used for pushing downthe rollers I2, I3. A longitudinal supporting bar 10 (Figs.'2 and 3)formed on or secured to each rear roller housing 43, plate 56 and flange51 extends along and is adjustably engaged with the outer face of eachroller housing I5 and provided with a longitudinal slot 1| in which isreceived an adjusting screw 12 received in tapped holes in the side ofthe roller housing, for clamping the deflector member differentdistances from the roller housing depending upon the length of the blankflap.

The pressure roller 28 nearest the deflector face 25 is substantiallytangential to the deflector face, the lower part of the deflector facebeing cut The springs 22 engage the forwardly moving front flap 2| (Fig.7) and raise its advance end 24 to en gage the deflector faces 25somewhat above the adjacent roller 28, whereby continued movement of theblank causes the flap to slide up upon the deflector face 25. A stopplate 15 adjustably disposed across the upper part of said deflectorface 25 is provided with an inwardly beveled lower face formingtransverse stop shoulder 23 against lwhich the advance end 24 of: theforward'flap is pushed and stopped as the 'blank is. advanced (Fig. 3).Said deflector face and stop'plate are respectively provided with slots16, TI crossing at right angles and receiving a clamping bolt '18 andhaving a nut behind the deflector and a headengaging. the stop plate inthe countersunk slot ll, whereby the plate may be adjusted bothlaterally and vertically... An adjustable vertical retaining bar 80disposed on the exposed face of the stop plate I5 and extending belowthe stop plate and diverged away from the deflector face is providedwith a verticalslot 8| in which is received a clamping bolt ,82 passingthrough the stop plate and having an inner head 83 engaged in acountersink in the stop. plate. A nut 84 engaged with the bar serves toadjustably clamp the bar on the stop plate with its lower end projectingto serve asa precautionary means to guide the flap to the stop shoulder26 (Figs. 8 and.9) The retaining bar 80 may be omitted if desired.

The operation of the folding device will be easily understood from theforegoing and need now be only briefly summarized as follows;

As is'usual in machines of the type'indica'ted, I

the .race bars 16 arepositioned oradjusted a distance apart toaccommodate the blank to be folded, so that parts acted upon willbeflrmly held and driven. vThe distance between the housing 15 and thedeflector plate 56 is also adjusted bymeans of the screw 12 (Fig, .3) inaccordance with the length of the blank. The plates 15 arepushedilaterally to approach each other in accordance with the width ofthe front, flap, and are adjusted vertically to make the distance fromthe shoulder face 26 to'the top of the'belt lportions lO equal to thedistance between the free edge of'the flap and the fold line, in thiscase themiddle fold line 21 on which it is desired to fold the blank. v,

, The finger piece 80 may be omitted if desired, but may beused as anextra precaution If used it is adjusted as conveniently as possible notto interfere with the flap positions of Figs. 8 and 9,

and prevents the flap from accidentally missing contactwith the shoulder26.

Thecards are fed one at a time bythe feeding means (not shown) and passalong on the lower belts l0 past the gluing means (not shown) or otheroperating device, if any, and then pass along in the direction ofthe'arrow 4| (Fig.1) withthe flap 2| forward, the blank being pressed onthe lower belt's by the upper belts l I and roll- 'erl2,'l3."" h i I Theblank is then carriedforward until the I vided'with a transverse scoreline hearsthe body portion; said. method comprising supp'or ting 'a'ndforwardly moving, until folded; thercardb'oard blank in a flathorizontal plane. witlrithe flap .i'niti'ally forward; .yieldablyslightl'yupwardlyde flecting'the forward. partof the flap as the-blankis-moved forwardly; .then positively deflecting substantially verticallyupwardlythe forwardly moving -flap; engaging; and positively'tstoppingthe free end of the upwardly moving flap .a"- distance "above the plane'of the body portion equal to the distance between the score line andsaid end, while the body portion vfin said pl'ane "is forced forwardlythereby. to cause the flap to fold attthe' score line; and'thenfoldin'g-andcpressin'g the flap onto the body 'portionwhile the bodyportion is'moved forwardly. l

2. A machine for folding .a cardboard blank having a rear bodyportionand a forward flap provided withaitransverse score line. near thebody portion; said machineic'ompri'sing means for supporting andforwardly moving until fold ed, the blank in'a horizontal flat plane:with the flap initially forward; means for yieldably slightlyupwardlydeflectinggthe "forward part of the flap'as the blank is .moved.forwardly; meanslfor y then positively deflecting;substantially,vertically upwardly the deflected forwardly moving flap; means forpositively stopping the freeend of the upwardly moving flap a'distanceabove the plane of the body portion equal to the distance-between thescore line and said end While the bodyposiflap is upwardly deflected bythe springs 22 and ridesup on the 'face' 25 until stopped by theshoulder 26, causing the flap to fold on the line 2' "(Fig. 6); Furthertravel of the blank causes I thefo l'd line 21 to be pushedunder theroller 28 andbe folded, the bolt I B and rollers l3 firmly conveying theblank until theyare firmly enga'gedfby the rol1ers"2 8 and passed onunder the rollers '29 for further operations or stacking.

The very light weight very yieldable spring. 22 cooperates with parts 56to 84 in a way to allow suchpartsto be heavy and very strong and .to

I bestationary in use, to allow these parts .to operate on cardboardblanks passing in close successionv at extremely high speed, and at'much higher speed than would be Possible if the assembly of parts 56 to.84 were required to oscillate. The spring 22 being very light andyieldable can be depressed by cardboard blanks moving at very high speedwithout injury to the tioned insaid flat plane is formed forwardlytherebyto cause the flap to fold at the score-line and means for thenfolding and pressing the flap onto the body portion while the body movedforwardly.

3. A device for folding blanks each comprising a forward flap providedwith a transverse score line; said device comprising means forsupportingthe blank as it is moved forwardly with the flap forward; a stationaryflap deflecting means adjacent to the path. of the flaps and positionedand constructed to engage and deflect-the flap as the blank is movedforwardly; a-yieldable deflecportion --is tor before said stationarymeans said deflecting means including a guide means to constrain the and:a stationary stop to stop the forward end of the flap as the deflectedblankis forced along and positioned a distance from the plane of thesupporting means a distance equal to the distance from the free-end ofthe flap to the score line to cause the flap to foldat the score lineathe blank travels to the guide means.

4. A device-for folding a blank comprising a forward. flap= providedwith a transverse sc'ore line; said device comprising means forconveyingand supporting the blank'as it is moved forwardly with the flap-forward;flap deflecting means adjacentto the path of the flap. and'positionedand constructedto engage 'anddeflect the flap as the blank'is movedforwardly; said deflecting means includinga fixed member'having adeflecting face facing substantiallyfthe dias the blank is 'moved'onsaid face; the stop means-being positioned to cause the flap to fold atthe score .line as the part of the blank to the rear of the scoreline'is forced forwardly.

5. Mechanism for. folding blanks each comprising'a iforward flapprovided with a trans-- verse' score line; said mechanism comprisingmeans'for conveying the blank forwardly with the flap forward; yieldablemeans to engage and slightly deflect the forward end of the flap as itis conveyedyflap deflecting means near the path of the' flap, andpositioned to be engaged byz'the deflected flap as the blank isconveyed; said deflecting means comprising a fixed member having adeflecting face facing the direction from which-the blank comes; and astop disposed across said face and positioned to engage and stop 'theforward end'of the forward flap as the blank is conveyed to cause theflap to fold at the score line and cause the flap to fold back on theblank and pass adjacent tothe deflecting means.

6. A folding device for use with a means for conveying a transverselyscored blank, said device comprising a substantially upright member;means for mounting the member over the path of the blank; said memberhaving a deflecting face faced toward the'on-coming blank; a pressingmeans mounted at the lower end of said face substantially to press afolded blank to the conveying means; a downwardly faced stop shoulder atthe upper part of said' face; yieldable means to deflect upwardly theforward end of the blank before it reaches said face.

'7. A folding'devicefor use with a machine having belts for conveying ablank forwardly with a flap of the blank forward, said folding devicecomprising one or more upright deflecting plates; means forrelativelylaterally adjustably mountmg each upright plate over the pathof the conveyed blank; said plate having a deflecting face faced towardthe on-coming blank; a roller mounted at the lower end of said facesubstantially to the rear of the deflecting face thereof above the beltand substantially flush with said deflecting face; and an adjustablestop plate disposed across the upper part of said face and forming alower stop shoulder positioned to engage the forward end of the forwardflap.

i 8. A device as in claim '7 including an upwardly -incline d spring;and means to mount the spring on the machine in position to deflect theflap upwardly before it reaches said face. i

9. Mechanism for folding a blank provided with a transverse score lineformingrrear and forward portions, said mechanism comprising conveyingmeans for conveying the blank forwardly with the forward portionforward; a device to deflect the forward end of the forward portion fromthe plane of the rear portion and adapted to be depressed to allow therear portion to remain undeflected; deflecting means having a deflectingface facin said device and positioned to be engaged by, and to deflectfurther, said forward portion as the blank is conveyed; and a stopacross said face positioned to engage the forward end of the forwardportion and positioned from said plane a distance to cause the blank tofold at the score line while said rear portion is in said plane; andmeans to press the forward portion back upon said rear portion asthe-rearrportion is conveyed forwardly by the conveying means.

10. Mechanism for folding a blank comprising a body and a forward flap,said mechanism comprising conveyingmeans disposed side by'side forconveying the blank forwardly with the flap forward; a device'betweensaid conveying means projecting into the path of the body with enoughforce to deflect the "forward end of the flap from said path and adaptedto be "disposed to allow the body to remain insaid path; flap deflectingmeans havinga deflecting face facing said device and positioned to beengaged by the'deflected flap as the blank is conveyed; guide means ad'-jacent to said path and substantially to the rear of said face to engageand hold the blank on said conveying means; and a stop disposed acrosssaid face positioned to engage the forward end of the flap andpositioned from said path a distance to cause the flap to fold at apredeter mined line while said body portio-n is'in said path and thedevice is depressed to cause the'forward flap to be engaged by saidguide means,'as the blank moves forward, and be folded back upon saidbody and pass under the guide'means with said body.

11. Mechanism for folding blanks each comprising a body portion and aforward flap provided with a transverse score line,said mechanismcomprising conveying means'including supporting means movable in spacedparallel paths in the same plane for conveying the blanks forwardlysubstantially in said plane with the flap forward, and pressing meansforlpressing the blanks to the supporting means; a forwardly inclinedwire spring between said'paths yieldably projecting in the path of theflap and adapted to yieldably engage and deflect away from said planethe forward end of the flap as it is 0on veyed; a stationary deflectingmeans having a deflecting face at right angles to said plane and facingsaid spring; a roller mounted at the lower end of said facesubstantially to the. rear thereof and positioned and mounted toengagethe blanks passing under the roller; and a stop disposed acrossthe upper part of said face and positioned to engage the forward end ofthe forward .flap and positioned from said plane a distance to cause theflap to fold at the score line :while said body portion isin said planeand the spring is depressed to cause the forward flapto be engaged bysaid roller, as the blank moves forward, and be folded back upon saidbody portion and pass under the roller. r I

12. A method of folding a cardboard, blank provided with a transversescore line forming a rear portion and a forward portion, said methodcomprising supporting and forwardly-moving un-- til folded, the blank ina flat plane with the forward portion initially forward; yieldablyslightly deflecting, from said plane, the forward por: tion as the blankis moved forwardly; then positively further deflecting the deflectedforwardly, moving forward portion to. a positionsubstantially at rightangles to said plane; maintaining the forward portion in the plane ofsaidposition while positively stopping the free end of the upwardlymoving forward portion a distanc e above said fiat plane of the rear.portion. equal to the distance between. the score line and said end.

while the rear portion in said ,planeis being forced forwardly therebyto cause, the blank to bend at the score line while the portions are inplanes at right angles to, each other; and then folding and pressing theforward portion onto the rear portion while the rear portion is movedforwardly in said flat plane. V I j OTIO FIORE.

